Centering device



Oct. 3, 1933. c. A. ALEXANDER CENTERING' DEVICE Original Filed March 7. 1921 Patented Oct. 3, 19,33

Y oENTEmNG'DEvIcE Charlton A. Alexander, St. Louis,'Mo., assigner `to Joseph Robinson, Santa Monica, Calif.

I Application March 7, 192i, serial No. V450,468V

Y lltenewedAugust 26,1932

. 'I 'his invention relates toacentering head and associated parts forming together a device for.

supporting andV centering, the heavy Y head casting used to automatically couple the` three sepa- -rate fluid conduits found on all passenger railway cars, and the invention has for its object the simplification of such centering head and associated parts so that all advantages of present equipment Will be retained while reducing the number of Aparts and the diiliculty of assembling the rod and stem on the head. A very successful type of supporting mechanism for Vfluid coupler heads is shown in application No.,397,814, filedV July 21, 1920, by Charlton A.. Alexander and Leonidas D. Woodruff, and the presentzapplication is in one sense merelya simplification of the centeringv head shown in that application. y y Y The principalfeatures of the present structure are the Yprovision of an upstanding pin integral with the lowershelf of the centering head;v the provision of a, stemhaving a single slot in its lower ysliding surface and theprovision of slight guiding ribs leading tothe guiding brackets on the side of the stem.

Other objects of the invention will .be apparent from the following description, and are specifically covered-by the claims, such other improvements consisting in an appreciable saving of material over older devices, and a general simplification of the parts. i f f In the drawings,- 1- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the device. l

'Fig'. 2 is a plan view of the stem and showing the centering head in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 landshowing l'the centering head in front elevation. Y The-centering head l0 is supported from Vthe circular support 11' of the bracket 12 inthe usual manner and as fully explained in the previously mentioned application. At its front end the disk 14 of the centering head has an upwardly and inwardly extending lip 15 which overlies the front portion of the circular support llfand providesV themeans for holding these in operative position,

. such position of the Aparts being maintained by the action of 'gravityl on the Vfluid coupler head (not shown) so as' to hold the rear bearing` surface 16 against thelower rear edge of thesupport. The turntabl'pin 17 may be held-in' position by Vany desired means as, for example, by'an inwardly projecting retaining lug 18 and-a cotter pin19` as shown, this construction being equally 'as efficient and much cheaper to manufacture than theusual headed pin which is a casting.V

The centering head is formed with a central opening 20 throughwhich-passes 4the stem 2l which carries the fluid coupler head,'connection t0 being made by a king bolt which passes through the alined holes 22 and 23 of the shank 24 of the stern.V TheV body ofthe hollow stem is generally rectangular in' shape but has a slot in the lower or bearing face of the stern. This slot is formed in two portions,-a rear portion 26 and a wider-front portion 27, the latter extending from the collar 28 to a point about half-way to the transverse abutment 29, while the narrower portion of the slot which is connected to the wider portion by the converging walls 26' is of a length corresponding to the length of the shelf 30 which -forms the support for the stem 21.

-r The transverse abutmentplate 29 is generally rectangular in shape as best shown in Fig. 3 and 75 extends slightly to either side of the rearportion of the centering head forming wings 32 which engage a shoulder 54 on either side of the centering head to support the weight of the fluid coupling head. This 'plate 29 is also provided 90 with slightly curved enlargements 33 and 34 to receive the'larger end 35 of the spiral spring 36 which is held in place by` a centrally perforated circular boss 3'7 at the center of the rear abutment plate and integral therewith. At its front end, the shelf 30 carries a preferably integral Vpin 40 generallyY cylindrical but having a curved groove 41-to receive the eyev42 of the rod 43 which forms the connecting link between the centering headA and the stem,` and holds in place, by meansof an adjustable nut 43',

the smaller end of the springf36, which consequently resilient-1y holds the abutment plate of the stem against the flatV rear wall of the centering head l0.

The lowerwallr45 of the stern is normally in engagement with the upper surface of the shelf 3l while in, uncoupled position, but when coupled the relatively higher surface 46 of the stem rests-upon the shelf.l The stem during the act of coupling slides gently down therear inclined surface 47, thus bringing the pin 40 within `the widerV portion 27 of the slot; Y

On either sideof the verticalcenter line of the stem the abutment-plate is strengthened by means of stiffening and guidingribs 50l either three in number or but two as illustrated.` In case only two are provided they are preferably flush with the upper and lower flatV surfaces of the stem and are sloped to. agree with the out- Vcoupling are as shown in Fig. V1 with the abutment plate in contact with the rear wall ofthe centering head l0. The spring 36 does no t irri any way carry the weight of the fluid coupler head which as stated isy rigidly attached to the stem 21, the latter being heldin horizontal position by the pressure of the spring 36., The action of gravity is resisted by the locking engagement which exists between the bottom surface of the stem which rests upon the flat shelf of the centering head, together with the engagement of the upper corners and the small projections 53 of the rear abutment plate with the shoulders 54Y of the centeringV head. It will be noted that in the position shown, these two-contacts support the .entire'weight of .the coupling head and entirely .prevent downwardl movement of the front portion of the shank unless the stem itself be moved rearwardly. .j

Although the parts, as previously stated, are locked in position as long as the stem is at the forward end of its travel, the stem is perfectly free to movel either backward or upward or to either side. -Movement directly rearward mere- 1y frees the engagement between the upper corners of the rear abutment and the shoulder 54 and if the. movement is-more than a slight one it also .lowers the horizontal central line of the stem because of the engagement of theinclined portions of the stem and centering head respectively. Still further backward-movement'of the stem brings the forward .bearing surface. 46 over :the vflat shelf of the. centering head and also Vbrings the wide portion 27 ofthe slot abreast oi' the pin, at which' time the coupling head may move freely in any direction including downward. vIts weight, together with the weight of the stem, rests atalltimes on the shelf which not only avoids the necessityof providing a'powerful weight-supporting spring, butfalso avoids too sudden or snappy movement ofthe parts.

The spring 36v should,V however, be made suflicientlyv'strong to restore the parts to normal uncoupled position at a fairly Yrapid rate,- for if the return action is made too slow the coupling head is liable to cant and will not engage properly withf the centering head.

lThe stem is assembled in the centering head by raising the forward shank portion until it just `tiifelyv extended condition. The eye 42 takes va universal movement at one point on the upright pin 'or hook40 and the distance between the top "of the, pin' and the inner face of Ythetop surface 1, the stem is incoupled position the top ofthe pin 40 willdust; clear theupper wall of the stemf What Iclaim is: r- 1 *1. A,'stern'forautornatm coupler heads, consistlngof ahollow member provided with aslot Y in its lower portion, a transverse abutment at the "rear of said member and guiding brackets extending from said transverse abutment to the main body of the member.

2. A stem for automatic train fluid coupler heads, consisting of a hollow member having a slot in its lower portion, a transverse abutment at the rear of said stem and extending beyond its margin at either side, a plurality of guiding brackets extending from the extending portions 'ofrsaid abutment and the body of said member and guiding ribs leading to said guiding brackets.

3. A stem for automatic uid coupler heads, Aconsisting of a hollow member having a lower portion,v forming a bearing surface, said portion being provided with a slot, a transverse abutment atthe rear of said stem and extending laterally thereof at either side and a plurality of guiding brackets connecting said stem and "said abutment.

, 4. A stem for automatic fiuid coupler heads, consisting of a hollow member having a slot in its. lower portion, said slot vbeing restricted in width at its rear end, a transverse abutment -member at the rear of said stem extending laterallyA on eitherside thereof; and a' plurality of guiding ribs connecting said-stem with saidv abutment.

.5'. vA stem for automatic fluid couplers, consisting of` a hollow member having a slot inv its lower portion, said slot being restricted in width,

at its rear end, the sides thereof beingparallel in such restricted portion, a transverse abutment member at the rear of said slot, said stem being deeper at'its rear end than at its front end.

. 6. A stem for automatic fluid coupler heads,V

consisting of a hollow member, an abutment, a shank, said stem between said shank and said abutment having a lower bearing face in two planes connected by a sloping portion.

7. .A stem for automatic fluid coupler heads, l,

consisting of an abutment, a shank and a generally cylindrical body open Vat its lower side connecting said abutment and shank and-a centrally perforated member closing the rear of said stem beyond said abutment.

8. In combination, a support having an opening therein bounded on the bottom by a horizontal shelf, an inclined portion leading to said shelf, a pin rising from and integral with said shelf, a slotted stem resting on said shelf withv said pin extending within the slot, a plane vfront bottom bearing surface on said stem, a plane .rear bottombearing lsurface farther from the axis of said stem than said front surface and an intermediate sloping bearing surface con-- necting said plane surfaces and. cooperating with said inclined portion to raise said stem when the latter isV moved forwardly in said opening.

9. Means for supporting an automatic connector head for universal movement relative toA wardly throughV said opening, and yieldableV means for pressing said stem forwardly in said opening, said stem being provided with a longitudinal slot, a pin projecting from said member into said slot, a tie rod engaging said pin and extending -rearwardly from said stem and said n member, said yieldable means comprising a spring Ynector head for universal movement relative toY acar comprising, in combination, a member roi opening, said member'being provided with an integral pin extending upwardly from the bottom of said opening, said stem having a longitudinal slot through which said pin extends, a tie rod hooked over said pin and extending rearwardly of said stem and member, said yieldable means comprising a spring carried by said tie rod and engaging said stem. y

CHARLTON A. ALEXANDER. 

